Newsletter Signup
Follow Us:
Why is the Green Deal so important for the UK?
The Green Deal Dream
Everybody is talking about how the Government’s Green Deal and there are mixed thoughts about it’s true value. Whichever side of the fence you stand, however, it is important to understand the intentions of the Coalition Government’s objectives and their vision of a greener future. Gregory Barker, the Conservative Minister of State, says that the Green Deal is a win-win scenario as it will save money for property owners, create jobs and business opportunities and also help the nation reduce it’s carbon emissions.
It’s hard to disagree that Britain has some of Europe’s worst performing property and could seriously benefit from the improvements that the Green Deal will fund. In fact, Gregory Barker has called the Green Deal “The biggest home improvement campaign this country has seen since the Second World War.”
The Green Deal is different to other “Green Government” schemes because it breaks down the main barrier, cost, and provides funding up front. Property owners can retrofit their properties and bring them up to scratch, paying back the money through the savings they make on their energy bills. This takes financial pressure off the Government and also protects the property owner by ensuring they are not paying any more for their energy bills than they would have been without the Green Deal. In short, it offers a long term solution.
It is estimated that the UK wastes about £2-3 billion worth of energy every year because of poor insulation and energy saving measures. In the long run, as people start to install more effective insulation measures funded by the Green Deal, it is hoped they will also see an improvement in their spending power and quality of life as a whole. This applies specifically to families on lower incomes who live in fuel poverty. In 2009 there were some 9 million home owners living in fuel poverty. Fuel poverty is identified as a household that needs to spend more than 10% of their income on fuel to maintain satisfactory heating.
Businesses who benefit from the Green Deal on a larger scale will also see an increase in their cash flow which, the Government hopes, will translate into a stronger economic.
Aside from monetary benefits, the Green Deal sets about reducing the UK’s carbon emissions, which contribute considerably to global climate change. 25% of the UK’s carbon emissions comes from energy used in residential property and roughly 25% comes from commercial properties. The questions regarding the Green Deal and other Government Green initiatives, do not speculate “if” we need to improve UK property stock, but ask “how”.
What is clear from the Government’s Green Deal plan, is that as a nation, we have realised how important it is that we make large scale improvements to our property. The Government have shown they are serious about it and are ready to empower the people to apply the measures needed.
Add Comment: